Higher Learning: College students are on a spiritual quest

The majority of college freshmen are searching for spiritual or religious meaning in their lives, but most say their colleges and universities are ill-equipped to help them find it, according to a new survey.

Officials with the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA released their findings Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. More than 112,000 students at 236 colleges and universities were surveyed, and researchers said they were surprised by the results.

They found students had "high levels of spirituality and idealism and demonstrated high levels of spiritual interest and religious involvement," according to Helen Astin, senior scholar at the institute. For example, she said, 4 in 5 students believe in the sanctity of life, and about the same number report a strong interest in spirituality.

Beyond searching for purpose and meaning, 6 in 10 said their spirituality "is a source of joy for them," and more than two-thirds report that they pray — for loved ones, to express gratitude, for forgiveness and for help in solving problems.

"In some ways, the study has taken us by surprise," she said. "In the past we, as well as other scholars, researchers and commentators have spoken of today's youths as materialistic, focused on self and very pessimistic about the future." The survey results "helped me see students in a new and different light."

Astin said she has a "new appreciation of this generation" and an "increased respect and caring for college students" who are "searching for ways to cultivate the inner self."

"They're compassionate and caring, about others, their communities and the world at large. It is, indeed, a very interesting generation."

Alexander Astin, founding director of the institute, said the most highly spiritual and religious students are politically conservative on most issues and exhibit better health practices than those who identify themselves as less spiritual and religious. He found great diversity in religious belief and practice, noting two "clear-cut clusters of religious affiliation."

The first includes includes members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with Seventh Day Adventists, Baptists and "other" Christians, usually evangelicals or nondenominational students. This groups tends "to be strongly spiritual and religious, conservative and expresses little religious skepticism," and they contrast "dramatically" with those expressing no religious preference, he said.